Toy



Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITD STTES GEORGE W. FERGUSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, NIINNESOTA.

TOY.

Application led March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,975.

To allein/1.0m .it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE FV. France son, a citizen ot the lUnited States, residing at li/Iinneapolis, in the county ot Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toys, of which 'the following is a specification.

`My invention relates to toys and particularly to the class of toy having a figure mounted 'on wheels and has for its object 'to provide aninclined axle and a guide memf- 'for causing said figurel to pass through various grotesque motions as thev toy is drawn about on the floor.

In carrying out my objects I provide a frame member in which is journalled anV axle having connected therewith a pair of wheels, said axle having an inclined portion on which is mounted a figure, which ligure has a ineinber adapted to slide in a guide 'formed von said frame so that the ligure @passes through a number of grotesque mo tions as the toy is drawn about on the tloor.

The full objects and advantages ot my i invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one Jform Figi l is a front elevational view of one tori-o. of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1. e

Fig. 3 is a plan view oi another form ot' the invention. e

e Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the device 'shown in Figure 3.

ofthe invention.

G is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a portion of the same iii relatively alternate positions.

Fig. '7 isa detail view of a part oli the device shown in Figure 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of still another torni ot the invention. Fig. 9 is a plan view ot still another form of the invent-ion. Y f

Fig. 1() is a detail view showing alternative method of connecting the draw bar to the axle.

Fig. 11 is a perspective detail view showing another method of :connecting the trame .member ofimy'invention to the axle.

`In the terms `of the .invention shown inl portion 23 of frame 13.A As the Figures 1 and 2, I employ two wheels 10 and 11 which have rigidly secured to them an axle 12, upon which is journaled a frame member 13. At the forward part of the trame member 13 at 14 lis connected a handle 15 by means of which the device may be drawn about on the floor. At the center oi axle 12 the same is formed with a relatively inclined portion 15 on which is mounted a figure 1G in the shape oit a person having a body 17, and head 18 formed in one piece and pairs of arms 19 and legs 20 pivoted to it in their proper positions. The lower ends of the legs 2O are directly pivoted to the inclined portion 15 of axle 12 and are :tree to rotate relative to said axle. A depending support 21 rigidly fastened to the body 1G is adapted to slide in a vertical plane on a guide member 22 formed on a depending toy is drawn about on the floor wheels and 1].

rare rotated and the ligurev 16 is given a motion reciprocating from one side ot the toy tothe otherby means'of the inclined axle 15. 'Ihe member 21 and guide 22 serve to hold the toy upright and to guide the same in its motions. y As the toy is drawn about on the floor arms 1,9 of the toy swing in relation to the body 17 thereof thus giving the ligure an animated appearance.

In Figures 3 and 4 I show a similar device to that in Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the rearwardly extending guide member 24 lis lemployed which is directly connected to the trame 13. The figure in this case is in the shape of'a duck 25 which has Wits head 26 loosely pivoted to the same and Fig. -5 a. plan View ot still another form is rotatably mounted on kthe inclined axle relative thereto as best indicated in Figure 4. AThe tail of the duck at 27 is arranged to slide on the guide 24 to support the duck and to guide the movements of the same. As the object is drawn about on the floor the duck is given a wabbling motion ,such as. is characteristic to chicks, its head swinging to either side as the duck advances. The tail 27 is loosely seated on the guide `24 so that the twisting motion of the duck does not cause said member to bind on the guide. e

In Figure 9 I show a device having two pairs of wheels 28 and 29 withinclined axles the same as in Figure 3. These axles lhaving single frame 31 mounted on them 'which terminate in two guides 32 and 33 positioned at the two ends thereot. A pair ot ducks Sil and are mounted on these inclined' axles 15 similar tothe duck 25 in Figure 3. The rear duclchas its `tail 36 slidably mounted on guide 33 while the staple shown in dotted lines in 'Figure 9 at S7 operates on quide 32 in a manner identical with the guide 36. A loopdraw bar 3l pivoted to the axle of the 'forward set of w ieels VE28 has form-ed in it an eye 39 to which may be attacheda cord for .drawing the toy about on the Adoor. This 'toy is similar to that shown in Eigures 3 and Ll and represents a pair ot duc-lis chasing .each other. Then the sets ot wheels 2S and 29 have their axes relatively disposed as iindicated in Figure 9 the ducjks -wabble Yin opposite directions vto each other giving ayery specific appearance as the toy is ope-rated.

In Figures 5 and 6 I show .a device similar to that shown in Figures 3 and il. In this device I .employ a igure'in the shape of a turtle having'a body 40 and a yplurality of legs 4l, a tail l2 and a head 48 all loosely pivoted to it as is indicated in Figure 7.

In this device the guide member -is absent and the point 4ot attachment of axle l5 to the body is in advance of the center of gravity of the figure so that the tail 42 of the figure drags upon the floor. The toy is inthis manner supported partly .on the floor and on the axleV 15=and as -tlie'same .is drawn about said ligure goes through similar motions to that or' the duch shown in Figure 8 with the additional fea-tures of the movable tail and legs. Figure G `shows the turtle as indicated in Figuren in its extreme opposite yposit-ion with -thehead and arms swung to opposite sides as indicated.

In Figure 10, I showlanother method of attachinga handle' for drawing the device similar to that indicated in Figures 5 and .6.

In `this ligure the body 4 0 ci ithe turtle as indicated with Vthe head and legs removed theretorm to V,show the particular vmethod of attaolllngthe handle. `In this .case -I use a wire handle 43 which is formed with a loop .ta ,adapted .to pass around the center portion oji the inclined axle 15. A cavi-ty formed on the underside of the body 40 ot the turtle .serves vtollOld .the loop te in its center position'uponithe axle l5. As .the toy .is drawn about by means of handle .43 .the wheels -lO Yand .1 1 may A:either one .ad-

vance ahead of .i the other dependent upon .the friction of .th-etloor against .said wheels and the force necessary to move :the turtle `through lthe various movements s o. :that .the

`toy lis given various .additional ,movements 1n place with the form of the invention 111 Fgure; .I show -alseettafel@ ndll7 .inelmedaslef 1 5 .earl se ahandle :16 with a esta? Fell similar to the device shown in Figure G. On the inclined auley l5 I mount a. figure representing a snake having ahead 46 pivoted thereto with a plurality ot body sections t each loosely linked to the other by means of pairs of eyes 48 and 49 interloclo .ing each other and secured to said bodyv members and to the head 46. As this device is-drawn abouton the licor snake taires positions varying between that shown in full lines and dotted lines in Figure 8 passing through motions identically with those of a snake crawling along the door. In this itc-rm of the invention the 4head portion f1-(l and the nearest portion i7 to it areraisc'd .trom the floor while the remainder ot the body portions 47 lie on the floorand pass through the serpent likemotion indicated.

In Figure ll, I show another method oif mounting` fthe wheels on 'the trame of the device vvhich may be used in conjunction With. the forms 01"' theinvention shown either in Figure G yor y8. The axle 15 and wheels ll and i() are the same although the tramo member lllis provided with elongated slotted portionslS and i9 which are adapted to slide on the portions lo of the axle so that the entire toy may advance or retreat alongl` said slots thereby giving the figure mounted thereon certain movements not attainable with the plane connection ot the frame to the axle as indicated in either Figure G or 8. XV ith this form of the device the movements of the figure are distinctly more erratic than in any .of the other Jorme and are not regular in occurrence. f

The advantages o-my invention are manifest, andlie primarily in the extreme siniplicity of I the device together with-the specd tacular appearance oi the `toy as the ligure mounted on it goes through its various niotions so characteristic to the animal or object it represents. The toy itself may be painted up so as to be highly attractive even when not in operation, which together with fthe animation given it when the object is operated make it a most attractive and pleasing` toy. The toy is vfurthermore very iustructive the motions given the animals or iigrures mounted thereon are very imi-tative of the characteristics of these animals or objects. `There is practically nothing,"y to get out of order on the toyand the same can be constructed at a very small cost. f

In accordance with the patent statutes l have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent .the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to .have it understood thatthe construction shown is onlyillustrative and .that tho invention can becarried out by ,other vmeans and applied to @ses other than .those a beve set forth witlnnthe scopeot the -iollowing lidia-n?? I claim:

l. A toy comprising a pair of Wheels having coincident axes, an axle conneet-ing said Wheels, having portions coincident with said axes so to permit the same to rotate at all times perpendicular to the surface supporting the same, and another portion inclined relative thereto, a figure pivoted to said inclined axle portion and means pivoted to said coincident axle portion for supporting' and guiding saidiigure in its movements.

2. A toy comprising a pair of Wheels, an axle connecting` said Wheels, said axle having its ends ixed centrally of said Wheels with a portion extending in axial alinement between said Wheels, an inclined portionextending between said portion extending in axial alinement with said Wheels, a ligure having` a body portion supported on and piv oted to said inclined axle portion anda member connect-ed with and issuing outwardly from said body portion for partially7 supporting and guiding.;` at its extreme end said body in its movements.

A toy comprising plurality of Wheels, an axle having its axis coinciding With the center of said Wheels, a relatively inclined portion formed on said axle, a frame journaled on the centrally disposed portion of said axle, a igure pivotally connected to said inclined portion of said axle, a guide attached to said frame and means connected to said ligure adapted to operate upon the said guide to permit the ligure to move relative to the frame.

il. A toy comprising plurality of Wheels, an axle having its axis coinciding With the center of said Wheels, a relatively inclined portion formed on said axle, a frame journaled on the centrally disposed portion of said axle', a figure pivotally connected to said inclined portion of said axle, a guide attached to said trarne and means connected to said figure adapted to operate upon the said guide to permit the figure to move relative to the frame, and means connected to said frame for drawing the figure.

5. A toy comprising a plurality of wheels, an inclined axle connectingl said w ieels, a figure pivotally mounted on said inclined axle, a iframe journalled concentrically relative to said Wheels, a guide member connected to said frame lying substantially in the plane of said ligure and means connected with said figure operating on said guide to permit the figure to move relative to the frame in the plane of said guide.

6. A toy comprising a pair of Wheels, .an axle fastened to said Wheels, a frame journalled on said axle, said axle having an inclined portion at the center thereof, a ligure supported on and pivotally connected to said inclined portion and means for movably holding said figure connected to said frame.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

`GEORGE W. FERGUSON. 

